Protective and safety closure for containers

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a protective safety closure for containers. The safety closure comprises an inner and outer cap made of pliable material such as plastics, or the like. The inner cap has an internal threaded portion which can fit over the neck of any conventional container. At the base, the inner cap has an outwardly extending ledge. Below the ledge are a series of serrations or notches. The outer cap has an inwardly extending ledge provided on its inner perimeter with a series of serrations or notches. After the inner cap has been threaded on to the container, the outer cap is snapped thereover so that its ledge engages under the ledge protruding from the base of the inner cap. However, the serrations on the inner and outer cap do not meet and the outer cap may be freely rotated without in any way rotating the inner cap. Thus, a safety closure which may not be inadvertantly opened, is accomplished. When it is desired to open the closure a slight flexing pressure applied to the base of the outer cap will cause the serrations or notches on both caps to inter-engage or mesh, whereupon the rotary movement of the outer cap will be transmitted to the inner cap and the inner cap may be thus removed.

United States Patent [191 Bogert PROTECTIVE AND SAFETY CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS [76] Inventor: Clayton Bogert, 118 Lowell Rd.,

Glen Rock, NJ. 07452 [22] Filed: June 14, 1973 [21] Appl. No: 369,893

Primary Examiner-George T. Hall Attorney, Agent, or F irm-Arthur A. March, Esq.

[5 7] ABSTRACT The present invention provides a protective safety clo- [451 July 22,1975

sure for containers. The safety closure comprises an inner and outer cap made of pliable material such as plastics, or the like. The inner cap has an internal threaded portion which can fit over the neck of any conventional container. At the base, the inner cap has an outwardly extending ledge. Below the ledge are a series of serrations or notches. The outer cap has an inwardly extending ledge provided on its inner perimeter with a series of serrations or notches. After the inner cap has been threaded on to the container, the outer cap is snapped thereover so that its ledge engages under the ledge protruding from the base of the inner cap. However, the serrations on the inner and outer cap do not meet and the outer cap may be freely rotated without in any way rotating the inner cap. Thus, a safety closure which may not be inadvertantly opened, is accomplished. When it is desired to open the closure a slight flexing pressure applied to the base of the outer cap will cause the serrations or notches on both caps to inter-engage or mesh, whereupon the rotary movement of the outer cap will be transmitted to the inner cap and the inner cap may be thus removed.

8 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures I/IIII PATENTEDJUL22 I975 .3 8 96; 335

SHEET 1 III/III I PROTECTIVE AND SAFETY CLOSURE FOR CONTAINERS The present invention relates to protective container closures which prevent inadvertant opening by children and others who may be unacquainted with the contents.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The great necessity for safety closures which prevent the exposure of the contents of a container to children and others is evidenced by the great concern on the subject. Many attempts have heretofore been made to solve this problem. However, except in a few instances,

these attempts were quite complex in structure and ex- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has overcome the problem heretofore encountered in that it provides a protective closure for presently existing containers, therefore, eliminating expensive tooling costs to modify the container itself. Virtually any container'provided with a threaded neck or lug portion can accommodate the closure of the present invention. Furthermore, with the present closure there is no need for the exertion of any extensive forceto readily open the container although it does prevent the inadvertant opening by persons who cannot read the instructions and therefore do not know the contents of the container.

In essence, the closure of the present invention comprises a two-piece unit in which the inner piece has a threaded portion to be accommodated by the neck of a threaded container and is provided at its base with an outwardly extending ledge and a series of serrations or notches below said ledge. There is also provided an outer cap having an inwardly extending ledge at its base which is also provided with a series of serrations or notches adapted to engage the serrations or notches on the inner cap. The ledge of the outer cap is of such construction and size that when the outer cap is pressed downward, its ledge fits under the ledge on the inner cap to maintain the inner and outer caps in their relative position. However, the construction is such that the outer cap can freely rotate without turning the inner cap. To open the inner cap pressure is exerted upon the base of the outer cap which flexes so that the serrations on both caps inter-engage whereupon rotation of the outer cap will cause the inner cap to return for removal purposes. Thus, the present invention provides a protective closure which is easy to assemble and which locks into position in which rotation of the outer cap does not cause rotation of the inner cap unless the flexing is accomplished by a person with knowledge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the outer cap of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the lines 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the inner cap of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a section ta'ken along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a section of the assembly of the outer cap and the inner cap with the serrations in their appropriate position.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the modified form of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view partially in section of the outer and inner cap of the present invention provided with means for turning both caps together.

FIG. 8 is a partially sectional view of the means for turning the inner and outer cap together.

FIG. 9 is a partially sectional view of the protective closure of the present invention showing a modified form of the means disclosed in FIGS. 7 and 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The protective closure of the invention provides an outer cap 10 which is of flexible plastic. At the base 1 l of the outer cap 10, there is a ledge 12 which extends internally of the cap and has around its perimeter a series of serrations or notches 13. An'inner cap 14 is providedwith internal threads 15 and an outwardly extending ledge 16. Below the ledge are a series of serrations or notches 17. The inner cap may also be of flexible plastic material.

The inner cap 14 may be threaded onto the neck of a conventional container until it is tightly fitted thereon. The outer cap 10 is then pressed over the inner cap 14 and the ledge 12 passes over and extends beneath the ledge 16. In this position the serrations or notches 12 on the outer cap and 17 on the inner cap do not engage each other but instead the outer cap may be freely rotated with relationship to the inner cap. Thus, inadvertant opening of the container by children and others not acquainted with the contents is completely prevented.

To open the container no great force nor any manual dexterity is needed. It is merely necessary to press against the base 11 of the outer cap 10 whereupon the cap will flex to a point where the serrations or notches 12 on the outer cap engage the serrations or notches 17 on the inner cap i.e., in any relative rotational position between said caps (as shown), whereupon when the outer cap is turned the inner cap will follow to expose the contents. In this simple form the cap may be removed although it is necessary for a person with knowledge to be acquainted with the arrangement before opening is possible.

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIG. 6 the inner cap is provided with an outwardly extending ledge 16 and the outer cap with an inwardly extending ledge 17. However, the serrations 17 on the inner cap and 13 on the outer cap are both disposed below the ledges. As a consequence the outer cap 10 may be freely rotated around the inner cap 14 without causing any rotation on the part of the inner cap. However, when the extension 18 on the outer cap is flexed it will bring the serrations or notches 13 or 17 into engagement with each other and rotation of the outer cap will cause consequent rotation and removal of the inner cap.

If it is desired to first assemble the outer and inner cap before applying them to the neck of the container the invention provides a ridge 20 extening beneath the surface of the outer cap and-a r idg'e 21 extending above the surface of the inner cap. As shown, when the caps are in assembled form prior to application into the container, the edges 22 and 23 of the ridges on the inner and outer cap will contact each other causing the rotational movement of the outercap to be transmitted to rotate the inner cap. When the inner cap is thus secured in position on the neck of the container, the edge 22 of the ridge outer cap will override the edge 21 of the ridge on the inner cap causing them to bypass each other whereby no further movement will be transmitted from the outer cap to the inner cap, The remainder of the portion of the two caps are the same as hereinbefore described.

As shown in FIG. 9, the ridge is located on the inner side of the outer cap 10 and the ridge 21 is disposed on the outer side of the inner cap. These ridges engage each other when the outer cap is turned transmitting the rotational movement to the inner cap. The ridges then by-pass each other when the inner cap is locked in position.

The words serrations or notches as used herein shall encompass any structure which can accomplish an intermeshing between the inner and outer caps.

It will be understood that while the invention has been described in some detail that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the'invention as defined in the following claims:

I claim:

1. A protective safety closure for containers having a neck portion comprising:

an inner cap adapted to be fitted over the said neck portion and having a base,

a ledge in proximity to said base,

an outer cap adapted to be fitted to said inner cap and having a base,

a ledge in proximity to said base, and,

serrations in proximity to the ledges on said outer and inner cap adapted to interengage with each other under pressure applied to the outer cap to cause the inner cap to rotate with the outer cap.

2 The protective safety closure of claim 1 in which the ledge on the inner cap extends outwardly and the ledge on the outer cap extends inwardly and the serrations on the outer and inner cap are substantially of the same depth and width.

3. The protective safety closure of claim 1 in which the serrations on the inner cap are disposed below the ledge and the serrations on the outer cap are substantially coplanar with the ledge.

4. The protective safety closure of claim 1 in which the serrations on the inner and outer cap are disposed below the ledges.

5. The protective safety closure of claim 1, including ridges on the inner cap and the outer cap, said ridges engaging each other when said outer cap is rotated to transmit rotational movement to the inner cap.

6. The protective safety closure on claim 5 in which the ridges are tapered are located on the top of the inner cap and under the top of the outer cap.

7. The protective safety closure of claim 5 in which the ridges are located on the inside of the outer cap and on the outside of the inner cap.

8. A protective safety closure for containers according to claim 1 having a neck portion comprising:

an inner cap adapted to be fitted over the said neck portion and having a base,

-a ledge in proximity to said base,

an outer cap adapted to be fitted to said inner cap and having a base,

a ledge in proximity to said base, and,

serrations in proximity to the ledges on said outer and inner caps adapted to interengage with each other in any relative rotational position between said caps under pressure applied to the outer cap to cause the inner cap to rotate with the outer cap. 

1. A protective safety closure for containers having a neck portion comprising: an inner cap adapted to be fitted over the said neck portion and having a base, a ledge in proximity to said base, an outer cap adapted to be fitted to said inner cap and having a base, a ledge in proximity to said base, and, serrations in proximity to the ledges on said outer and inner cap adapted to interengage with each other under pressure applied to the outer cap to cause the inner cap to rotate with the outer cap.
 2. The protective safety closure of claim 1 in which the ledge on the inner cap extends outwardly and the ledge on the outer cap extends inwardly and the serrations on the outer and inner cap are substantially of the same depth and width.
 3. The protective safety closure of claim 1 in which the serrations on the inner cap are disposed below the ledge and the serrations on the outer cap are substantially coplanar with the ledge.
 4. The protective safety closure of claim 1 in which the serrations on the inner and outer cap are disposed below the ledges.
 5. The protective safety closure of claim 1, including ridges on the inner cap and the outer cap, said ridges engaging each other when said outer cap is rotated to transmit rotational movement to the inner cap.
 6. The protective safety closure on claim 5 in which the ridges are tapered are located on the top of the inner cap and under the top of the outer cap.
 7. The protective safety closure of claim 5 in which the ridges are located on the inside of the outer cap and on the outside of the inner cap.
 8. A protective safety closure for containers according to claim 1 having a neck portion comprising: an inner cap adapted to be fitted over the said neck portion and having a base, a ledge in proximity to said base, an outer cap adapted to be fitted to said inner cap and having a base, a ledge in proximity to said base, and, serrations in proximity to the ledges on said outer and inner caps adapted to interengage with each other in any relative rotational position between said caps under pressure applied to the outer cap to cause the inner cap to rotate with the outer cap. 